The European Union's extraordinary collection of economies, languages and cultures has thrown up an awkward conundrum - what do the Irish, the Germans, the French, the Spanish, the Italians and all the other members of this polygot supranational stew have in common?
Are the bald facts - that, post-EMU, our fiscal futures are irrevocably unified - sufficient to sustain a meaningful, long-term relationship? Is it enough that we all merely get along?
The organisers of the Motto For Europe competition are seeking to fill what they identify as a vacuum in ideology and symbology at the core of European identity. They have turned to the citizens of the EU of the next century, its children, in search an answer.
The competition, announced in Brussels last month, represents a fresh attempt to instill in young people across the 15 member states a sense of shared identity. Classes of students between 10 and 19 years are invited to compose, in not more than 12 words, a motto or slogan which embodies the nascent spirit of the new Europe.
"It seems odd that EU has so many institutions and so many symbols, yet is bereft of any slogan or motto which captures the essence of what it represents to its citizens," says Christine Dejou of the Centre for Peace at the War Memorial Musuem in Caen, northern France, the body which is co-ordinating the competition. Caen was virtually destroyed during the Normandy invasion in 1944.
The event will be run in conjunction with leading members of the national media in each member State. The Irish Times will promote and oversee the competition in Ireland.
Classes are encouraged to flex their wit and creativity. There are no set rules as to the content - aside from a requirement that they be presented in both English and in one of the other 10 EU official languages.
"We want the children to let their imaginations run wild," says Dejou. "We want the motto to embody the spirit of hope and fraternity which is in the air as Europe faces into the new millennium."
The competition is an not official EU project - the idea was first floated by Ouest France, one of France's leading newspapers, two years ago. However, the European Parliament is expected to adopt the winning motto. It's hoped that the motto will, in time, become as synonymous with Europe as Brussels' 15-star flag.
The winning entry will be chosen by a judging panel comprising a representative from each EU state. The organisers have secured a formidable line-up. The independent senator, Dr Mary Henry, a vocal campaigner on womens' rights and human rights and past president of Cherish, the single mothers' support group, is to represent Ireland on the jury which will make the final decision by May of next year.
Other adjudicators include former Commission president Jacques Delors, former Spanish prime minister Felipe Gonzalles of Spain and Lord Jenkins, the former Roy Jenkins, representing Britain.
The panel will consider a single entry from every member state. The 15 finalists will be nominated by the media representing each country. To ensure that judges are unaware of entrants' nationalities, the mottos will be translated into all 11 EU languages.
Mottos must be accompanied by a 1,200-word explanatory essay and can be submitted only by the Internet. Full details of the competition are available from the Motto For Europe website at www.motto- europe.org
The competition proper starts in September. Final details will be available before that to all schools with students ranging in age from 10 to 19 years. The deadline for entries is December 31st.
